My  Most-Cherished Book

By:  Stacey Meadors

          As you would be able to tell by looking at my torn and tattered copy of  Time for a Rhyme - A Collection of Nursery Rhymes that it was my favorite book as a child.  I loved that my parents read it to me.  I loved the illustrations.  I especially loved the smell of the new pages, which you can still faintly smell today.  I absolutely cherished this book, partly because it was MINE and no part of it belonged to my sister.

        As we think back about our childhood, we tend to remember events that invoked much emotion - any emotion.  When I think back about my childhood I remember much of the interaction between me and my sister, Beth - the fighting, hitting, yelling, throwing - you get the picture.  Then that always led to more yelling, scolding, some form of punishment, and the dreaded apology and hug.  That was my childhood.  I am 4 years older than Beth and therefore supposed to be more mature, but that doesn't always apply in the laws of sisterhood.  It was every sister for herself.

         For my 5th birthday I received this cherished book from my best friend and it quickly became my favorite.  I don't really know why it appealed to me like it did, but I really loved it.  When my sister was a toddler she decided to use it as a coloring book and I was devastated.  When I think back about this incident, I don't really remember any punishment being served.  I feel that this incident set the stage for the next 12 years of my life. One fight and punishment after another and me being told to grow up and act my age.

        My story does have a happy ending, believe it or not.  As I think back about these pieces of my past, I acknowledge that they helped form me into the person that I am today and my sister also.  We've both matured into independent, successful individuals and we are extremely close and the best of friends.